Parineeti Chopra’s fashion disaster in Kill Dil

I had the misfortune of watching Kill Dil over the weekend. The movie was bleh, and Parineeti Chopra’s wardrobe was a major FASHION DISASTER. Styled by Aki Narula and Poorvi Mohan, her costumes were a poorly-done job. Surprising and disappointing, since this was supposed to be her most glamourous role yet (she plays Disha, a rich girl who drives a Ferrari). #EPICFAIL. BTW, the picture below is one of the rare moments in which she has been styled well.

Parineeti Chopra Kill Dil trench

There was one thing fundamentally wrong with her costumes in Kill Dil:

Parineeti Chopra was NOT dressed for her body type and size.

Two basic fashion and on-screen styling rules were broken.

Rule No 1: Firstly, the camera adds 10 pounds and the silver screen magnifies everything 10 times. So if there’s an extra centimeter here and there, it’s going to look like several inches.

Rule No 2: Second, as every aspiring stylist knows, ALWAYS dress for your body type. If you don’t, be prepared for a debacle.

Here’s my take on what comprised Parineeti Chopra’s fashion disaster in Kill Dil, and how the stylists could have done it better.

Tight and short dresses: In the song Happy Budday, Parineeti’s arm fat was spilling out from the strapline of her dress. Yep! Quite a sore sight. Much as I hate to say it, body-hugging dresses are meant for slimmer, petite women. While dozens of fashion brands sell bodycon dresses for larger sizes, most women cannot carry them off well.

Could be replaced with: Instead of these non-flattering silhouettes, Parineeti would have looked great in a sequined sheath dress or a well-fitted bustier with slim pants (without slippage!) for party nights.

Parineeti Chopra dress in Kill Dil

Shorts and skirts with boots: The super-short shorts and mini skirts, paired with the thigh-high boots plumped up Parineeti’s calves and thighs, and that’s not a good thing. I believe girls of all sizes should wear what they want, but come on, not on the silver screen (check out Rule No 1 above).

Could be replaced with: Knee-length skirt dresses accessorised with pumps or ankle-length boots.

Tight choli, low-waist lehenga: The orange Diwali ensemble comprised a tight cropped blouse with a keyhole neckline, and a lehenga that showed way more than it should have. Parineeti’s role was of a super-rich hotshot’s daughter, not a wannabe trying too hard to look desirable. While the outfit was lovely, it was the wrong one for someone like Parineeti.

Parineeti Chopra Diwali in Kill Dil

Could be replaced with: A heavy flowy anarkali or even a gorgeous lightly embellished sari would have looked great on Parineeti. Or the look could have been more tasteful with a strategically draped dupatta.

Round neck textured knit: Textured knits look great on skinny models but just look bulky on other women (especially the top-heavy ones). While the white sweater was cute, it wasn’t right for Parineeti.

Could be replaced with: Instead, Parineeti could have worn a V-neck lightweight knit in a darker colour for a refined look.

Crop top: A midriff-baring crop top with a mini skirt for a pear-shaped girl… seriously? Parineeti’s character Disha was a high-class Delhi girl, who’d know the difference between chic and Silk from The Dirty Picture.

Parineeti Chopra in Kill Dil-  crop top

Could be replaced with: High-waisted pants or skirt instead of the mini.

Given a chance, Parineeti Chopra would have looked lovely in these looks:

  • Sharp blazers and jackets with black trousers (Parineeti wore a blazer briefly and totally rocked in it).
  • Slim fit tops with skinny jeans.
  • Delicately-printed blouses with pastel pants.
  • Straight-cut dresses with interesting detailing like contrast collars, prints or belts.

PS- The only interesting accessory Parineeti wore in the movie was this ear cuff (see picture below).

Parineeti Chopra in Kill Dil

Important note: I have nothing against Parineeti Chopra. I think she’s a talented actor—her confidence and dialogue delivery amazed me right from her debut film (Ladies vs Ricky Bahl). Like all other women, she can choose how she wants to look and what her weight/size should be. In fact, hats off to her for sticking to her “real” body weight despite Bollywood and media pressure. This blog post is not meant to offend or malign Parineeti Chopra, her friends and family, or her team, but is rather a wakeup call to the stylists who didn’t let the actor’s body shape decide the clothes (it was as if the clothes were selected for another actor and had to be forced on Parineeti). And a big thumbs-down to the director who let this happen. Also, a message to the production team from Yashraj Films—your movies are aesthetically designed, even when otherwise devoid of good content. DID NOT EXPECT this from the Yashraj banner.

All pictures courtesy: Yashrajfilms.com

Bollywood Fashion: Barfi is a classic, sweet look from the seventies

Bollywood Fashion: Barfi is a classic, sweet look from the seventies

Barfi! is not a fashionable film, though it’s a fun watch. There is nothing special about the clothes, since the focus is on the characters. Gorgeous clothes would draw attention away from the non-verbal gestures and expressions in this largely silent film, in which a lot of emphasis is on body language, interaction among characters and the setting.

 

The background

The movie is set in the 1970s and you would expect to see bell bottoms, polka dots and flashy prints and colours. But you won’t spot too many of these in the movie, because Darjeeling is far away from the frenzy of the seventies.

Ranbir Kapoor as Barfi

As a chauffeur’s son, Barfi wears the sweaters and shirts a small-town boy would be expected to wear. Costume designer Aki Narula has paid careful attention to define the character- while Barfi’s clothes are not fashion-forward, he’s a real charmer and a guy like him would be expected to pay some attention to his appearance. Hence you notice the neat look and careful layering. The clothes look neither too fresh nor too worn out.

Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi

Key pieces:

Patterned and knitted sweaters and cardigans (argyle and plaid)

Small checks on shirts

Worn out jackets worn over shirts and cardigans. Ranbir wore a similar jacket on Indian Idol, and I can take a safe guess that it’s from Diesel.

Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi

Ileana D’Cruz as Shruti

As a fresh college graduate, Shruti (Ileana) dresses casually, wearing jeans, turtlenecks, sweaters and skirts, without flashing skin. Her key accessories at this period are hoop earrings- in dozens of sizes, colours and styles!

Ileana D'Cruz in Barfi

As a married woman, Shefalina GUpta has chosen Dhaka saris for Shruti in earthy colours and tiny prints. Her look is reportedly inspired by Jaya Bachchan in Mili and Guddi.

Ileana D'Cruz in Barfi

Priyanka Chopra as Jhilmil

Playing an autistic character, Priyanka Chopra underwent a magical transformation and skipped her usual glamourous avatar. Hats off to the team behind her Barfi look for the cropped unruly curls and no-makeup look.

Priyanka Chopra in Barfi

Jhilmil’s childish appearance includes a midi-length dress/ skirt with strong feminine touches like a rounded Peter Pan collar, lace hems and old-fashioned bloomers! She wears Mary Janes with white socks- an apt finishing touch for a schoolgirl. In Kolkata, Jhilmil sticks to loose fit cotton blouses and skirts, with a few comfort clothes like loose printed PJs.

Priyanka Chopra in Barfi

Touching sartorial moment

At one point in the story, Jhilmil develops a childish fascination with sensuality as she tries to ape Shruti’s sari, draping a bedsheet around her, looking very awkward but very satisfied with her achievement. That was one of the super sweet moments in the film.

(Pictures courtesy: UTV Motion Pictures)

Chic Review: What Not to Wear India

Chic Review: What Not to Wear India

Where are Trinny and Susannah?

Imagining What Not to Wear without Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine is a tough task. No fashionista duo comes a close second to these outspoken ladies. Who else can say, “Blondes and shiny fabric equals hooker” and “Cropped pants make any woman look like a stunted man” while keeping a straight face and meaning every word of it?

So the BBC folks (producers of What Not to Wear) got Soha Ali Khan and Aki Narula to play the style police for the India edition.

what-not-to-wear India Soha Ali Khan Aki Narula

Of course, they are no Trinny and Susannah. And then they aren’t that well-known either. Soha, for instance, has never been hailed as a fashion diva by the media or fans, and Aki Narula has more or less hung up his designing boots to focus on styling. But then, Trinny and Susannah became mini celebs after the show.

Bum shorts, anyone?

I had several initial apprehensions about What Not to Wear India. Firstly, would Indian women be willing be paraded on national television for their lack of style? Would the producers get interesting participants? And, most importantly, would the hosts be able to get across the much-needed fashion and style tips to us?

The answer is mostly yes. For instance, there’s a middle-aged mother of two who wore drab unflattering kurtis, and an aspiring model who only liked to wear “bum shorts”. Yeah, really!

Adopting the international format of the show, Soha and Aki first accost a subject nominated by friends or family, then put her in a “360-degree room” (completely surrounded by mirrors) in her favourite outfits. The duo then break down each outfit, explaining what works and what doesn’t. Explaining basic concepts of styling and fashion (like body types, prints, colours), a couple of sample outfits are demonstrated and explained. And then they both trash her earlier wardrobe. The “bum shorts” girl squealed as Soha and Aki dumped her entire hot pants collection. Then the participant is off on a shopping spree while Soha and Aki give their nods of approval or exclamations of disdain. Of course, it all ends happily ever after. 🙂

what-not-to-wear India Soha Ali Khan Aki Narula

Yeah on fashion, meh on drama

Makeover shows are always fun to watch when executed well and so is this one. Soha may not have been a stylist but she’s got screen presence and explains style concepts well without talking down to the participant. My only grouse is that her look is the same throughout the few episodes I saw (feminine dress or blouse or with fitted skirt and heels). Aki Narula is his usual experimental style and though he doesn’t speak as much as Soha, his inputs are incisive. I especially liked his idea of using old saris to make stylish kurtas.

The show is a good pastime, though it doesn’t rank too high on the entertainment factor. I didn’t end up making a connection with any of the participants and there wasn’t too much “drama” to keep me hooked. No tantrums, no “I give up” moments, just a few tears of happiness on realizing the magic of dressing right. And the few opportunities for some cheeky moments are lost, perhaps to avoid offending sensibilities. So while Trinny and Susannah would have pronounced a certain participant’s style “slutty” without batting an eyelid, Soha and Aki were a tad more diplomatic.

Meanwhile, the fashion and style tips are quite handy for women watching the show. Even a self-confessed fashionista might get a pointer or two from the show if she watches carefully. What the show does miss out on is on the importance of accessorizing- it only gets a passing mention.

what-not-to-wear Soha Ali Khan Aki Narula

Our Verdict

What’s important about What Not to Wear India is that it’s got an Indian perspective on styling- such as the right kurtis for you- which foreign makeover shows skip. We’ve always needed a reality makeover show of “ordinary people” so this show (along with Be Blunt with Adhuna Akhtar) will be counted as the early ones. And BTW, if you’re bored of Grey’s Anatomy (Season 1 -yawn!) and Vampire Diaries (teenybopper stuff), you should switch to TLC (they all air at 10pm).

Meanwhile, I hope for another season with some drama and outrageous makeovers.

Chic Trend: Get Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar look (guide for both guys and girls)

Chic Trend: Get Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar look (guide for both guys and girls)

Couple days ago, I de-coded Ranbir Kapoor’s look in upcoming movie Rockstar, as envisioned and designed by Aki Narula. Today I’ve taken the Rockstar look a step further. Drawing inspiration from Jordan (Ranbir’s character in the movie), here’s how you can get the Rockstar look. The best part is—both guys and gals can get steal from Rockstar, as long as they got the grunge attitude. 🙂

Ranbir Kapoor with guitar in Rockstar

Basics:

  • To start with, you could wear a military-style jacket or army print/ camouflage shirts. Military jackets were very popular last autumn/winter, so if you’ve got one in your wardrobe, pull it out.
  • If you can’t get your hands on a military jacket, look for army green jackets/ shirts. Another good option is a green or black waistcoat.
  • While I don’t suggest pairing a green/ army shirt with olive cargo pants, you can wear your cargos with basic round-neck tee.
  • If you’re the non-fearing types, dare to wear loose printed pyjamas or harem pants with your jacket or waistcoat.

Below: Jacket from Zara, Probase Cargos (available on Myntra.com)

zara jacket1Probase men solid olive cargos

Advanced:

In the mood to have some fun as a rockstar? You could personalise your clothes by adding your own touch to a jacket or waistcoat. Some suggestions:

Pin some fun badges or paste some stickers on the jacket. They could be of your favourite rock band, sports team or just have some fun quote. An easy alternative is a magnet (use another magnet to hold it in place or attach it with glue).

Below: Badges from FC Barcelona, stickers from Manchester United

FC-Barcelona-badge man-utd-stickers

Add feathers and tassles: You could “borrow” tassles from your living room cushion or make your own tassle with wool or thread. Here’s a short and sweet video that shows you the easy way to make a tassle.

Add a totem: Your favourite keychain, quirky picture, photo or bookmark. It’s your personal stamp!

Below: Boot keychain (available on ebay.in), Clip bookmarks from Quirkoshop.com

keychain-boot-yellow-ebay bookmarks-quirkoshop

Draw: Sketch a peace sign on the jacket with a thick marker or felt pen. Or you could paint or create a picture on Photoshop and stick it on cardboard, then attach it to your jacket.

Some more crazy tips to look like rockstar Ranbir:

Guys: Grow a beard, keep your hair long.

Girls: Ditch the skinny jeans; wear flowing pants with chappals.

Both: Wear military green sneakers.

Rock on, stay chic!

Bollywood Fashion: How Aki Narula made Ranbir Kapoor a Rockstar!

Bollywood Fashion: How Aki Narula made Ranbir Kapoor a Rockstar!

India’s got a new silver screen rockstar— Ranbir Kapoor! Ranbir’s Jordan (aka Janardan) is a rebel who doesn’t care a damn about the world. He sings about his angst, raises his voice against the establishment, and most importantly, he wears what he wants.

Ace designer Aki Narula has designed for Ranbir in Rockstar, and the two distinct looks he has created for Ranbir are poles apart. Here’s how Aki Narula has worked his magic on Ranbir in the movie.

Ranbir Kapoor’s pre-rockstar look (Janardan)

With unkempt hair and stubble, Jordan portrays the ultimate Jim Morrison fan. But much before his rockstar days, Jordan was Janardan, a middle-class Delhi boy who was awkward around girls and wanted to be cool.

Ranbir Kapoor in Rockstar

That’s when Ranbir wears:

  • Skinny and straight-fit jeans
  • Colourful knit sweaters
  • Typical “stylish” shirts

Ranbir Kapoor’s Rockstar look (Jordan)

Jordan is not the fumbling Delhi boy Janardan in an earlier life. He’s had a broken heart, he’s been to jail, and he’s got a fearless attitude. He doesn’t need to be cool anymore—he goes grunge, dishevelled and vagabond. What Jordan is wearing:

  • Kurtas: He didn’t wear those to college, because kurtas just weren’t cool. Now he wears them because he no longer cares what people think of him.
  • Military jacket: The military-inspired jacket (for both men and women) was a rage last winter, and Ranbir might make it popular again. Given his Kashmiri background, Jordan is quite fascinated with the armed forces.Ranbir Kapoor- embellished jacket in Rockstar
  • Qawwal jackets: These sleeveless jackets indicate Jordan’s connection with qawwali singers.
  • The famous police shirt: Ranbir’s wearing a police shirt in Sadda Haq, with an attached feather. A blatant act of rebellion against the system!
  • Ranbir Kapoor-police shirt in Rockstar
  • Colours: The gypsies of Prague inspire Jordan to wear bursts of colour and add a personal touch to his performance clothes.

Accessories

Ranbir’s Rockstar accessories are minimum. He sometimes dons a Nehru cap with badges that remind him of his mentor (Ustad Jameel Khan- Shammi Kapoor), and tassles and small objects like feathers.

Ranbir Kapoor Nehru cap in Rockstar

Besides these, Ranbir is also wearing a chain around his neck with a piece of his first broken guitar string and his first guitar pick. He adds little souvenirs to the chain as he travels around the world.

Ranbir Kapoor chain in Rockstar

What do you like about Ranbir’s look in Rockstar?

Rockstar releases on November 11, 2011.

Lakme Fashion Week update: New models, GenNext designers for Winter/Festive 2011

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 is still a while away, but preps for Mumbai’s biggest fashion event are in full swing. Speaking Chic brings you mid-season updates from LFW W/F 2011.

GenNext and Emerging designers for LFW W/F 2011
To start with, the list of debut Gen Next designers is out. The designers/ teams are from around the world—from Nagpur to Vancouver! Here are the lucky eight:

  • Farah Sanjana from Nagpur
  • Mohammed Javed Khan from Bangalore
  • Nikhil Thampi from Mumbai
  • Shashank Raj & Prajwal Badwe from New Delhi
  • Siddharth Arya from Mumbai
  • Theresa James & Roger Prince from Vancouver
  • Thinles Chosdup & Niranjana Adhya from Noida
  • Urmi Ghosh from Kolkata

Meanwhile, the emerging designers line-up has some familiar names, including Shivaji Dutta, Anna Liza Ganguly/ Anita Walia and Pam & Arch. A glimpse of the GenNext show from the previous season (Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011):

GenNext Designers at LFW SR 2011

Nine new faces on ramp for LFW W/F 2011
Earlier this week, an LFW jury selected nine new models to walk the ramp this upcoming season.

Ta-da!!

New faces of Lakme Fashion Week-(L-R) Keren SilveirraKaren LimaXamira MohlmannNoelia BarreiroDiana LobodaMariia CherniakovychSweta DolliNijhum Pat

Check them out (pun intended!) from left to right: Keren Silveirra, Karen Lima, Xamira Mohlmann, Noelia Barreiro, Diana Loboda, Mariia Cherniakovych, Sweta Dolli, Nijhum Patra and Mitali Rannorey.

The long-legged lasses impressed the jury comprising choreographers Anu Ahuja and Marc Robinson, designer Aki Narula, photographers Prasad Naik and Vishesh Verma, Monikangkana Datta, Anil Chopra (CEO- Lakme Lever) and Anjana Sharma (Director- Fashion IMG Reliance).

Lakme Fashion Week Winter/Festive 2011 will run from August 16 to August 21, 2011 in Mumbai.

Fashion News: Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011 designers announced

Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2011’s advisory board recently announced Gen Next, Emerging, and Accessory Show Designers for the upcoming LFW Summer/Resort 2011.

Here’s the complete list:

Gen Next Designers:

  • Anna Liza Ganguly &  Anita Walia
  • Deepti Purthi
  • Manas Dash
  • Miriam Strehlau
  • Shivaji Dutta
  • Timsy Kamboj

Emerging Designers:

  • Abhishek Byas
  • Jelin George
  • Pamela Phlaphongphant  & Archana Banchongrati
  • Sabah Khan
  • Sabbah Sharma
  • Vaishali Shadangule
  • Atithi Gupta

Below: An outfit from Jelin George’s Lakme Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2010 collection.

    Jelin George LFW 2010

Accessory Designers:

  • Eina Ahluwalia
  • Malini Agarwalla
  • Prabhat Kumar
  • Rachana Reddy
  • Rina Shah
  • Rohan Arora
  • Suhani Pittie

Below (from left to right): Picks from the Lakme Fashion Week Winter/ Festive 2010 collection of (Row 1) Eina Ahluwalia and Malini Agarwalla; Row 2: Rohan Arora and Suhani Pittie.

Eina Ahluwalia LFW 2010 Malini Agarwalla LFW 2010 Rohan Arora shoes LFW 2010 Suhani Pittie jewellery LFW 2010

More LFW News

This season renowned stylist and designer Aki Narula will mentor and guide the Gen Next applicants. I say they’re a lucky bunch!

Also, veteran designer Rohit Bal is now a member of the LFW Advisory Board.

Which designer are you looking forward to this season?

Katrina’s Bollywood fashion jhatka: Is it a sari or a skirt?

While Sheela ki Jawani (aka Sheila ki Jawani) rocks the charts, Katrina Kaif seems to be rocking on the Bollywood fashion front with a confusing outfit in the chartbusting song from Tees Maar Khan. So what on earth is that pink thing? Is it a sari, is it a skirt, or is it a cutoff lehenga?

Katrina kaif half sari in Sheela ki Jawani

It’s none of them, folks. It’s what the fashion world is calling a half-sari. What it comprises: a knee-length underskirt/ petticoat (or whatever fancy-shmancy name you want to give it), and a “sari” that’s not the sari’s length, but shorter and not even the same width as the traditional sari. It looks like something’s missing. Length, fabric…and a wearable garment.

We asked some people about their opinion on the half-sari concept. Some of the spontaneous reactions:

“It’s neither this nor that! Awful!”

“It would look stupid off-screen.”

“I wouldn’t want to wear that, but it might just become a hot trend.”

It’s worth noting that Tees Maar Khan costume designer is Aki Narula, and not Manish Malhotra, which is a refreshing change.

Meanwhile Katrina Kaif rocks another look in Sheela ki Jawani: loose white shirt with black shorts, very similar to what Veena Malik wore on Bigg Boss the other day.

Katrina in Sheela ki Jawani

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